


something-sexual

by spjderloki



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Amy Santiago Loves Jake Peralta, Bisexual Jake Peralta, Bisexual Male Character, Comforting Amy Santiago, Established Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago, Gen, Jake Peralta has ADHD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-21 08:59:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17040743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spjderloki/pseuds/spjderloki
Summary: the one when they all meet jake’s sexist, racist, biphobic stepbrother.or, the one when detective “uncomfortable with emotions” peralta opens up.





	something-sexual

**Author's Note:**

> heya, big bisexual mess comin’ thru. this one has me really anxious, actually, because it’s the first time i write b99 and i’m really scared it’s gonna be out of character but oh, well.
> 
> enjoy, kiddos :)

9:00 a.m.

 

The bullpen was so crowded with people, Jake had to say ‘pardon me’ and ‘excuse me’ seventeen times before he could reach his desk. Dropping a fat binder on the table, he caught Amy’s attention immediately.

“Boy. Who’s the hottie?”

“I’m just gonna assume you’re talking to the binder,” he replied, “and to answer your question, da hottie is the one and only Peter Peralta. PP, everybody!” He exclaimed, getting no one’s attention.

“Wait. Peralta? Is this one of your secret stepbrothers? Oh, god. Are all your siblings huge disasters with a criminal record?”

“What? No. I mean, yes, probably, but no, that’s not what this is about!” He said as he sat down, “PP is coming to Brooklyn today. We’re finally meeting, and I wanna make sure that it goes ay-mazing, girl!” Amy gave him a strange look. “Sorry, babe, I’m way too nervous and I might’ve had just too many aspirins. Are four aspirins too many aspirins? Oh, god, they are, right? I just said aspirins four times! Five times if you count that one! Oh, my god. What if I blow it? What if he is another disaster with a criminal record? Should I just arrest him now so I don’t waste my time?”

Amy got up and walked towards him, taking one of his hands between hers.

”Babe, you’re spiralling. I’m sure it’s gonna be amazing. Why are you so nervous about meeting him? You weren’t like this when you met your sister— No matter how that ended up.”

“Yeah, but it’s different now, you know?” He replied, still startled yet noticeably more calm than a few seconds ago thanks to the familiar contact, “This time, it’s a dude. Not— Not in a sexist way, or anything! You know. God is a woman. Ariana Grande, our biggest intellectual— Anyway, where was I?” He looked into Amy’s eyes and sighed. “This time, it’s a man. Again. Somehow, I get to meet a new family member, and it’s so much scarier because if he turns out to be like my dad, I don’t think I’m gonna be able to relive it... But I also don’t want to lose the chance to have a brother? Dude. Family issues suck.”

“Just try not to give it such a thought. Don’t get your hopes too up, so if he turns out to be not that great, you won’t be disappointed!”

“Title of your sex tape— But yes, you’re totally right. Thank you, Ames. Sorry I freaked out,” he said as he got up and laughed, “like there’s such thing as ‘too many aspirins’.”

Amy shook her head with a small smile as she watched him walk away. She had hope, but deep down, she was really scared of how the events would turn out. Jake was a very strong person, she knew, but he had been through so many family disappointments, she just wished he’d be able to take a break.

 

 

11:26 a.m.

 

“Is he here? Terry, is he here?”

Terry looked at Jake and frowned. “Who?”

In response, he sighed and walked away, using one of his hands to smell his breath and the other one to run his fingers through his hair. Anxious was an understatement.

He looked at Amy. He looked at Holt. He looked at Rosa. He looked at Charles. He needed something to remind him that no matter how it all went down, he’d still have tons of people there for him.

Right there, to get him out of his thoughts, the elevator opened. He stepped back, and for a second, he considered running away.

_Don’t be crazy. You can do this._

“Hey. I’m looking for Jake Peralta?” The man who had just walked out of the elevator said with a deep voice. He kind of looked like the white, male version of Rosa: tall, wearing all black, using a leather jacket and holding a motorcycle helmet.

“It’s me,” Jake said, feeling almost confident, “and you must be PP!”

“What?”

But then the confidence was gone. “Uh... PP! As in. You know. Peter Peralta. P... P?”

“That’s stupid. Don’t ever call me that. My name’s Peter.”

“Okay, my bad! Let’s forget I ever said that. Should we go now?” Jake replied, along with his trademark nervous laugh. He pointed at the elevator and they both walked towards it in silence. He looked over to Amy one last time and his look either asked for help or for a good luck wish. Amy was willing to do both.

 

 

12:15 p.m.

 

They had arrived at the restaurant and ordered the food and drinks when Jake excused himself and went to the bathroom. In there, he looked at himself in the mirror and said,

“He’s cool, right? He’s only made two slightly offensive jokes. He’s white, straight and American! You can’t expect him to have a high moral compass, can you?”

“No, you can’t. It’s the USA, not Canada,” the voice of an old man startled Jake.

“I’m sorry, sir. I’m talking to myself.”

“Okay. Have a good one.”

“What...?” He frowned but just shook his head and left the restroom.

Peter was looking at his phone when Jake sat down in front of him. His brother didn’t bother to look up, so he sat there in silence.

“Here are your drinks. Your meal will be right out. Enjoy!” The waitress said as she left two beers on their table.

Peter laughed, “Can you believe how amazing this place is?”

“... Because the food’s amazing and the music’s really good?” _Please say yes. Please say yes._

“Yeah, that—“ Jake felt relieved, “— and the number of hotties around here. I mean, look at that ass! Whatever happened to miniskirts?” Peter said way too loudly, making the woman who had just left their table noticeably uncomfortable.

“Oh, man. Don’t do that,” Jake said, disgusted.

“What? She’s working for me, right? I’m paying. I get to say what I think.”

“Yeah, but that’s a human being— I just don’t think there’s really any need to make her feel uncomfortable.”

“What are you talking about? I was complimenting her. She should feel honored.”

“What? Are you serious right now?” Jake couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Dude, you don’t have to be such a—” And then, miraculously, the food arrived. Jake could tell how fast the woman left it all on their table and walked away, and he felt so embarrassed.

He ate in silence, listening to every comment his lovely brother had to say about whatever football team was playing. He had to hold himself back from stabbing his hand with the fork when he called the coach a ‘useless twink’.

 

 

2:07 p.m.

 

When they arrived the 99th precinct, Jake looked a little bit disappointed, but he hoped that the squad wouldn’t notice it.

For some reason, he had hope. Unbelievably, he was still expecting to find a decent person under that racist, sexist cover.

Then, the worst happened.

The one thing he feared the most.

Jake was introducing his brother to the rest of the squad, and when he approached Rosa’s desk, she gave him a sign to let him know she was on the phone.

“Yes, babe, I can’t wait to see you too,” she said and rolled her eyes, but Jake could tell she was smiling, “I love you too.” Then, she hang up.

“Rosa, I’d like you to meet my brother, Peter Peralta.”

Rosa nodded as the only gesture of salute. “Sup.”

“Sup.” Peter looked at Jake. “So, what? Is everyone taken here? No hot chicks you can introduce me to?”

“What? No. That’s why you think I brought you to the precinct?”

“Well, at first, yeah. To be honest, I thought you were gonna introduce me to _hot_ _stuff_ over here,” he pointed at Rosa, “but she clearly has a boyfriend.”

Jake frowned at him and shook his head before he could anticipate what was coming.

“Actually, moron, I have a name. You just heard it. You call me hot stuff one more time and I’ll snap your little fingers—” Jake saw that response coming. What he didn’t see coming was the following, “— and, not that it’s any of your business, but I was talking to my girlfriend.”

Jake swallowed and felt like a pile of rocks were running through his throat. _Please don’t. Please don’t. Please don’t._

“So, you’re a lesbian?” Peter said, and just when Jake started to let his guard down, he added, “Hot. Two chicks. Super hot.”

Rosa stood up. “I can’t believe I’m explaining myself to a dumbass like yourself, but I’m not a lesbian, I’m bisexual. And my girlfriend is indeed hot, but that’s not of your damn business, so back off.”

“Bisexual? What does that even mean?” He asked, offended. “You bang dudes and girls? Listen, Rosa. Not to be rude, but that’s just called a threesome. There’s no such thing as bi-sexual.”

Rosa opened her mouth but she was interrupted by another loud voice.

“Oh, my god! Would you please shut the hell up? I can’t believe this! What was I thinking? I spend my entire day preparing to give you a good first impression and all you do is say amazingly ignorant and offensive crap? I think the fuck not. Get the hell out.”

“Woah, woah, chill, brother. You’re really getting upset? I was just telling your friend the truth! She’s either straight, a lesbian, or a cheater.”

Jake’s hands made fists and he had to close his eyes to breathe  and hold his emotions back. He wasn’t ready.

“Get. Out.”

“No.”

He opened his eyes and took a step forward. He didn’t care he wasn’t ready. He let it all go. “You’re gonna get the fuck out of my precinct now and never come back, ever again, or I’ll have you arrested for sexual harassment and make you rot in jail. I can and will do that. Don’t fucking try me.”

And so, Peter Peralta looked around for a second and then, left. And Jake just stood there, frozen. He wasn’t ready.

 

 

6:50 p.m.

 

“Hey,” Jake heard Amy’s voice and something inside him felt warm, “are you okay?”

“Yeah. No. I mean— Yes?”

He was sitting against a wall in the evidence room, his eyes closed and his head too heavy to be held straight. He only opened his eyes when Amy sat in front of him.

“You don’t have to be okay, you know? You were super strong out there, and I’m very proud of you. But now, it’s just you and me. You can count on me, and you know that.”

He took a deep breath. He had spent hours alone, trying to get it together, but one moment alone with Amy was all it took for him to let his guard down.

“I just feel dumb. I keep letting people in, I try my hardest and it’s not enough, and when things get out of hand I usually repress it and try to move on, but earlier today... I just— I couldn’t.”

“I get it, you were just protecting Rosa. It was a very nice gesture. Also, he totally had it coming.”

Jake nodded, but then shook his head. He wasn’t ready... Was he?

“I just— It doesn’t feel like... I did it... _For_ Rosa.”

Amy tilted her head a little. “What do you mean?”

“It’s so... I don’t—” He sighed. He was ready. He just didn’t know how to say it out loud. “When we were out there, and I heard him say all that stuff to Rosa, I just— It felt awfully close. But not like I was feeling bad for Rosa— Which I was, of course, he was being a total dick— But it felt more like... More... Personal.”

Amy looked at him in the eyes and nodded, slowly. Their faces were partially lit by the warm, small and only lamp in the room, and the intimacy of the moment helped Jake find some strange confidence.

“More like... Like he was insulting me, too.”

Amy nodded again. Jake knew she knew what he was trying to say, but he also knew he had to say it, not for anyone but for himself. To say it once and for all. To say it out loud.

“I felt like that because he was insulting me too. Because— I think I might— I’m—”

She held his hand and a small, comforting smile was shown in her face.

“I’m bisexual.”

And just like that, it was out. The words came out of his mouth and floated around them, but they didn’t leave that intimate space. It was just Jake and Amy, no one else, and it felt truly relieving.

Amy stroked his cheek and kissed him, softly. The only sound that could be heard was coming from Jake’s heart, beating like crazy. He felt safe. He was safe.

“I never told anyone. I never even said it out loud... I think I didn’t know I was bi until Rosa came out. I knew I wasn’t straight, but I just never named it, I was ‘something-sexual’ and that was it. But then, earlier today... It was too much, you know?” he said, “but, doesn’t matter. It’s over now. I’m telling the squad tonight.”

“Are you sure? It’s okay if you don’t. I’m so, so proud of you, you know?”

“I love you so much. And yes, I have to do this. I feel like I just need to say it and that’s it. I was afraid that something might change after I said it...” He said, slowly, softly, as he looked at Amy, “But it hasn’t. And it won’t. I’m still me, and I’m here, and I’m with you, and to be honest, that’s everything.”

She smiled, and he smiled back. “I’m sorry things didn’t work with your brother.”

“It’s okay,” he replied, “This is all I could’ve asked for.”

**Author's Note:**

> no trigger warnings!


End file.
